By VANESSA VALENZUELA
KAMANEE Naidoo is carving out her identity through wooden works of art.
The 24-year-old sculptor from Caroline Springs has a knack for taking things apart and putting them back together, resulting in unusual shapes for her creations.
Kamanee first fell in love with art when she picked up a paint brush in high school after moving from South Africa to New Zealand in 2001.
“I tried to do painting and I was good but I became bored and at the same time there were a lot of limitations,” Kamanee said.
While studying a Bachelor of Visual Arts at the University of Auckland, Kamanee began experimenting with clay, glass and metal before discovering a love for working with wood.
“I have a passion for breaking things down and learning how to rebuild it. I want to break it down into pieces and see what I can make from it,” she said.
“Wood is really easy to cut up and manipulate. I really like the texture, look and graininess of it.”
After completing her studies in 2011, Kamanee moved to Melbourne in search of a job as an artist and currently works as a theatre production assistant at Geelong Grammar School.
Kamanee said working with art is a great way to release frustrations and “learn more about your own identity”.
“It’s about just finding out who you are, being confident about who you are, and as an artist, learning from the bad and the good,” she said.
Kamanee hopes to complete a Masters degree in Visual Arts at RMIT University.
“No words can capture what you are feeling or your emotions. You put your emotion in the artwork and really release yourself,” she said.
“I really want to do my degree so I can hone in on these emotions and make them work for me.”
For more information on Kamanee visit www.kamaneenaidoo.blogspot.com.au
